Eastern Railroad Discussion > Busiest flat switch yard

With PSR resulting in the closing of a number of hump yards, I wonder which yard in the east or Midwest flat switches
the most cars in a 24 hr period.  Before PSR I would have guessed Decatur, IL (NS) or Rocky Mt, NC (CSX).
Andy

When just flat-switching traditional carload (non-intermodal) traffic, I'd go with the following:
(*I'll list all Class 1's)

•UP
Houston Settegast Yard, TX with Portland Albina Yard, OR and Tucson Yard, AZ as runners-up.  

•BNSF
Laurel Yard, MT with Temple Yard, TX and Belen Yard, NM as runners-up.
(*Yes, Laurel was a MRL yard but BNSF always had a large presence there.)

•CSX
Chicago Barr, IL with Rocky Mount Yard, NC and Walbridge Yard, OH as runners-up.

•NS 
Decatur Yard, IL with Detroit Oakwood Yard, MI and Enola Yard, PA as runners-up.

•CN
A toss up maybe between Fond du Lac Yard, WI or Battle Creek Yard, MI.

•CP 
Definitely Bensenville Yard, IL

•KCS
Definitely Shreveport Deramus Yard, LA 


Because UP and BNSF have vast systems with so many flat-yards sprinkled around, I guess an argument can also be made for the previously mentioned UP Strang Yard.  UP's South San Antonio Yard, Ogden (Riverdale?) Yard, Pine Bluff Yard, Pocatello Yard, South St Paul Yard, and Council Bluffs Yard are also pretty busy.  As with BNSF, Alliance Yard, Denver (38th St) Yard, and Amarillo South Yard are worth a mention.

Andrew 



 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/22 05:23 by florida581.

Wow! What a splendid list!

Thanks

Steve Andrews
Ames, IA

Which yards have slug sets to do the switching?

florida581 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> When just flat-switching traditional carload
> (non-intermodal) traffic, I'd go with the
> following:
> (*I'll list all Class 1's)
>
> •UP
> Houston Settegast Yard, TX with Portland Albina
> Yard, OR and Tucson Yard, AZ as runners-up.  
.
Another candidate might be Proviso Yard in the Chicago area.  The hump was eliminated a couple of years ago in favor of expanding the Global 2 intermodal facility.

I believe NS in Decatur, IL is the biggest flat switching yard by area that isn't a converted hump yard.

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